172 research outputs found
Die samehang tussen godsdienskritiek en samelewingskritiek by Karl Marx
In this article it is reasoned that the classical Marxist critique of religion cannot be regarded as critique of religion per se. M arx’s critique of religion is embedded in his societal critique and any effort to analyse and /o r interpret his critique of religion should be done from the vantage point of his societal critique . Seeing that Marx's critique of religion is an essential function of his critique on capitalist society, it cannot simply by default be dismissed as an atheist onslaught on religion. As a sub section of his societal critique an evaluation of Marx's critique of religion should above all focus on his arguments which centre on the functional relationship between church and state. It is only in this way that one can account for Marx's critique of religion not being in the first place an atheist onslaught on religion, b u t can see it functioning fundamentally as a critique on the politico-theological arena; thus as a critique for the sake of man and on those aspects/links which deter him in his effort to attain full self-realisation
Leaderships Role In Effective Implementation Of School Discipline Policies
Discipline is an important aspect of the life of any school. Learning and teaching can only take place effectively in a disciplined environment. In South Africa, discipline policies might not have been effectively implemented due to inadequate sources, lack of commitment and training of school leaders. A qualitative research design was utilized for the investigation on which this article is based. The research consisted of two phases. First, group interviews were conducted with 27 B Ed Honours students; thereafter, individual interviews were conducted with a total of six students selected by purposive sampling. The results seem to suggest that the broader school community should be taken on board to ensure effective discipline policy implementation. The correct legal sources should furthermore be employed in the process of developing school policies. School leaders need thorough training for the development and implementation of discipline policies. Several measures are suggested for the effective introduction of disciplinary policies, among others, that school leadership should play a (more) active role; specifically the principals of schools should be willing to share their knowledge on the implementation of school disciplinary policies with other members of the school leadership
Strategic Marketing Insights For Small Business Meat Retailers
Branded meat of consistently high quality has earned a reputation worldwide as a means to increase beef consumption. The feedlot industry is the main beef producer in South Africa and falls in the category of ‘Small Businesses.’ For these small business meat retailers to be successful in an industry subjected to fierce competition, it is necessary to be innovative in a market where high quality beef serves as just another commodity. This study explored the marketing efforts of meat producers in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, by drawing tangent planes between effective marketing and the knowledgeable consumer. The research approach that was used included both quantitative and qualitative research. The population consisted of consumers buying meat products at three different retailers in Middelburg, Mpumalanga. A sample of 612 was conveniently selected for the study. A total of 588 questionnaires were completed. The results of the study provide insights into the measures that influence brand equity for branded meat products. The importance to establish a link between brand variables and consumers’ perception regarding the importance of these variables is thus critical in the success of branded meat products. These marketing insights make a significant contribution to the competitive marketing strategies of small business meat retailers
Heritability and expression of selected mixograph parameters in progeny of parents varying for mixing time
The mixograph performs certain rheological measurements during dough mixing and is a good predictor of wheat end-use quality. The aim of this study was to determine the expression and the heritability of mixing characteristics measured with Mixsmart® software and some quality characteristics in hard red spring wheat parents and their F1 progeny. Six parents varying in midline peak time and envelope peak time were crossed in a half diallel design. Parents and progeny were planted in three different environments. General combining ability (GCA) was a significant source of variation for the measured characteristics, and parents differed widely in terms of GCA effects. Midline-development time, -peak integral and -peak time showed high narrow sense heritability. Envelope peak-integral and -tail width displayed high narrow sense heritability for some, but not all locations. High GCA:SCA (specific combining ability) ratios indicated the prevalence of additive gene effects for midline-development time, -peak integral and -peak time, indicating that these characteristics are largely genetically determined, and that selection for them should lead to genetic gain
Preorganized tridentate analogues of mixed hydroxyoxime/carboxylate nickel extractants
Simple tridentate ligands can operate as Ni-extractants in the pH-dependent process: 2LHorg + NiSO4 ⇌ [(L)2Ni]org + H2SO4.</p
Risk of classic Kaposi sarcoma with exposures to plants and soils in Sicily
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Ecologic and in vitro studies suggest that exposures to plants or soil may influence risk of Kaposi sarcoma (KS).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In a population-based study of Sicily, we analyzed data on contact with 20 plants and residential exposure to 17 soils reported by 122 classic KS cases and 840 sex- and age-matched controls. With 88 KS-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) seropositive controls as the referent group, novel correlates of KS risk were sought, along with factors distinguishing seronegatives, in multinomial logistic regression models that included matching variables and known KS cofactors - smoking, cortisone use, and diabetes history. All plants were summed for cumulative exposure. Factor and cluster analyses were used to obtain scores and groups, respectively. Individual plants and soils in three levels of exposure with <it>P</it><sub>trend </sub>≤ 0.15 were retained in a backward elimination regression model.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Adjusted for known cofactors, KS was not related to cumulative exposures to 20 plants [per quartile adjusted odds ratio (OR<sub>adj</sub>) 0.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.73 - 1.25, <it>P</it><sub>trend </sub>= 0.87], nor was it related to any factor scores or cluster of plants (<it>P </it>= 0.11 to 0.81). In the elimination regression model, KS risk was associated with five plants (<it>P</it><sub>trend </sub>= 0.02 to 0.10) and with residential exposure to six soils (<it>P</it><sub>trend </sub>= 0.01 to 0.13), including three soils (eutric regosol, chromic/pellic vertisol) used to cultivate durum wheat. None of the KS-associated plants and only one soil was also associated with KSHV serostatus. Diabetes was associated with KSHV seronegativity (OR<sub>adj </sub>4.69, 95% CI 1.97 - 11.17), but the plant and soil associations had little effect on previous findings that KS risk was elevated for diabetics (OR<sub>adj </sub>7.47, 95% CI 3.04 - 18.35) and lower for current and former smokers (OR<sub>adj </sub>0.26 and 0.47, respectively, <it>P</it><sub>trend </sub>= 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>KS risk was associated with exposure to a few plants and soils, but these may merely be due to chance. Study of the effects of durum wheat, which was previously associated with cKS, may be warranted.</p
Soil fungal diversity and assembly along a xeric stress gradient in the central Namib Desert
The Namib Desert of south-western Africa is one of the oldest deserts in the world and possesses unique
geographical, biological and climatic features. While research through the last decade has generated a
comprehensive survey of the prokaryotic communities in Namib Desert soils, little is yet known about
the diversity and function of edaphic fungal communities, and even less of their responses to aridity. In
this study, we have characterized soil fungal community diversity across the longitudinal xeric gradient
across the Namib desert (for convenience, divided into the western fog zone, the central low-rainfall
zone and the eastern high-rainfall zone), using internal transcribed sequence (ITS) metabarcoding.
Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Chytridiomycota consistently dominated the Namib Desert edaphic
fungal communities and a core mycobiome composed of only 15 taxa, dominated by members of the
class Dothideomycetes (Ascomycota), was identified. However, fungal community structures were
significantly different in the fog, low-rainfall and high-rainfall zones. Furthermore, Namib Desert gravel
plain fungal community assembly was driven by both deterministic and stochastic processes; the latter
dominating in the all three xeric zones. We also present data that suggest that the inland limit of fog
penetration represents an ecological barrier to fungal dispersal across the Namib Desert.ACKNOWLEDGEMENT : The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the
National Research Foundation of South Africa and the University of
Pretoria.The National Research Foundation of South Africa and the University of Pretoria.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/funbioam2024BiochemistryGeneticsMicrobiology and Plant PathologySDG-15:Life on lan
Delayed-type hypersensitivity in classic Kaposi sarcoma patients and controls
BACKGROUND: Immune perturbation likely affects the development of Kaposi sarcoma (KS) among people infected with the
KS-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). We tested whether KSHV-seropositive individuals or cases of classic KS (cKS), which typically
originates in the leg, had differing delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) in the forearm or leg.
METHODS: Mantoux DTH with three antigens (Candida, tetanus, PPD) was performed on the forearm and leg of 15 cKS cases,
14 KSHV-positives without KS, and 15 KSHV-negative controls. The diameters of induration responses were compared by group
and body site.
RESULTS: Leg DTH was greater than forearm DTH among controls (mean difference 5.6 mm, P\ubc0.0004), whereas this was not
observed in cKS cases ( 2.2 mm, P\ubc0.32) or KSHV-positives (0.5 mm, P\ubc0.56). Leg-minus-forearm DTH difference was greater
in controls compared with cKS cases (P\ubc0.004) and KSHV-positives (P\ubc0.002). Leg-plus-forearm DTH was similar in controls
(mean 28.2 mm) and cKS cases (24.5 mm, P\ubc0.60), but it was reduced in KSHV-positives (11.8 mm, P\ubc0.02), particularly in the leg
(P\ubc0.004) and marginally in the forearm (P\ubc0.07).
CONCLUSION: KS cases had weaker DTH only in the leg, whereas both body sites appeared weaker in KSHV-positives without KS.
Both systemic and regional immune alterations may influence the development of this malignancy
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